The reason was that I believe she was a much less than ordinary Federal Health Minister and that her acceptance of the advice of the Department Of Health on the ConOps Framework for the PCEHR / NEHRS has been very damaging to e-Health overall as has her continuing apparent support of NEHTA despite its obvious failings.
I needed some time to just consider a position and while being critical, to at least be polite.
I have no idea how good she was as A-G, but as a Minister for E-Health she gets a fail from me.
As a person, mother and so on I wish her all the best for the future.
David.
To perhaps be a little fairer - she will probably go to the grave proud of the plain tobacco packaging laws she helped pioneer. Many lives will be saved, probably globally, as this addition to the tobacco control armament becomes widely adopted.
ReplyDeleteYes I am very unhappy about what happened to e-health under her ministry, but my scorn is in the main reserved for those who should have known better but advised her so poorly.
So, let us give her some credit. Lest not we forget e-health land was a basket case under Abbott too, and he oversaw the creation of NEHTA with its special 'you can't touch me' NGO status. Under Abbott the only independent oversight of NEHTA, the AHIC, was shut down when it started questioning the direction Reinecke was going. Lots of glory to go all round m'thinks.
I agree on the tobacco issue - but cannot agree that the buck does not stop with the former Minister on e-Health. A billion $ and for what exactly?
ReplyDeleteSadly her successor has also failed to push the Department hard enough for the evidence to back their plans (of which there is very little).
David.
e-Health under her ministry was controlled by her office to a very large degree. Advice she was given so often was ignored because it did not align with the 'spin' that was required. So let us not give her any credit at all.
ReplyDeleteAll those defending Ms Roxon should also reflect on just what was been achieved by her in the Health Reform Agenda. It has been watered down big time and delivered very little that anyone can see while adding bureaucracy.
ReplyDeleteDavid.
Heavens. I am not partisan and I agreed the Tobacco Work was a real win. On Health Reform and e-Health there were many more fails than losses in my view.
ReplyDeleteIn passing, as commentary, the Pharmacy Guild was given much to much and investment in real preventative activities never matched the rhetoric.
The bigger fail in my view was not to sort out Health System Funding to provide accountability and transparency. It has still not happened and I suspect it never will while you have multiple (State, Private and Federal Funders).
Not a partisan - just a realist.
David.
Heavens. I am not partisan and I agreed the Tobacco Work was a real win. On Health Reform and e-Health there were many more fails than losses in my view.
ReplyDeleteIn passing, as commentary, the Pharmacy Guild was given much too much for pretty useless services that don't seem to really deliver and investment in real preventative activities never matched the rhetoric.
The bigger fail in my view was not to sort out Health System Funding to provide accountability and transparency. It has still not happened and I suspect it never will while you have multiple (State, Private and Federal Funders).
Not a partisan - just a realist.
David.
A Patient’s Guide: How To Stay Safe In a Hospital, an article on the book, hints at a fundamental issue for NEHR.
ReplyDeleteCurtiss suggests anyone in hospital should take notes, or, presumably, have a friend at the bedside to do that.
How would that look, a real-time diary of events? More to the issue, how would it feel to health-care providers? Threatening, inappropriate, hazardous?
In defence of Ms Roxon, the testimonial for Fran Thorn, who was Sec Health Dept Victoria, at Deloitte's is telling.
ReplyDelete“The work Fran led to create a stand-alone Department of Health in Victoria and the design of the Victorian health system provided the blueprint for much of the new national health agenda, ...”
A submission from DoHA to Recent trends in and preparedness for extreme weather events is remarkable for omitting mention of NEHR. Remember Hurricane Katrina?
ReplyDeleteIn relation to gaps in Australia’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework, the department is conducting a survey-based assessment across jurisdictions of the readiness of the Australian health system to respond to climate change.
May be interesting to watch how the survey canvasses for opinions on NEHR.